South Dakota
2024 FCS Top 25: No. 1 South Dakota State Football Preview
South Dakota State ranks No. 1 in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.
The Jackrabbits won their second straight FCS national championship last year, beating Montana 23-3 to finish 15-0 overall.
Here’s a look at the 2024 SDSU football squad, which has 28 seniors on the roster.
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Returning 2023 All-Conference Players (8)
1st Team
QB Mark Gronowski
S Tucker Large
AP Amar Johnson (RB)
2nd Team
OL Gus Miller
P Hunter Dustman
LS Kaydon Olivia
RS Tucker Large
Honorable Mention
OL Evan Beerntsen
CB Dalys Beanum
D1 Transfer Portal Movement
Transfers Coming In From The FCS (2)
Sam Hagen (OL), North Dakota
Colby Humphrey (DB), Northern Arizona
Transfers Coming In From The FBS (1)
Marcus Hicks (OL), Oklahoma
Transfers Lost To The FCS (0)
Transfers Lost To The FBS (0)
For more FCS coverage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Offensive Outlook
SDSU had six offensive players from last year’s championship team sign NFL contracts, including its two best offensive linemen, top two wide receivers, top tight end, and All-American running back.
With that production gone, a major boost to the 2024 offense is signal-caller Mark Gronowski, the 2023 Walter Payton Award winner and back-to-back national championship game Most Outstanding Player. Gronowski turned down six-figure NIL offers from Power 4 programs to stay at SDSU for one more season.
Gronowski has 7,590 career passing yards, 70 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, plus 1,387 yards rushing and 27 TDs. Last season, the 6-foot-3 and 225-pounder completed 68 percent of his passes for 3,058 yards, 29 scores, and five interceptions while rushing for 402 yards and eight TDs. Gronowski is 37-3 as a starter with only one FCS loss as a full-game starter (2021 spring at UND). He’s 13 victories away from breaking the FCS record for QB wins currently held by NDSU’s Easton Stick (49-3 career record).
Protecting Gronowski will be key for an offensive line that needs to replace three starters.
Gus Miller (6’3″ 290 lbs) returns after grading out as PFF’s No. 1 FCS center. He also won the Rimington Award as the best center in the FCS. Evan Beerntsen (6’4″ 300 lbs) is also back after an All-MVFC season. Beerntsen was the No. 6-graded FCS offensive guard on PFF.
Quinten Christensen (6’5″ 295 lbs) will probably work his way into the starting lineup after playing a lot of reps last year in packages that included six offensive linemen. SDSU added two D1 transfers who look to make an impact. Marcus Hicks is a large human being (6’5″ 305 lbs) coming in from Oklahoma. And Sam Hagen is another large transfer, both literally and figuratively. The 6-foot-6, 325-pounder started all 12 games at right guard last season on a good North Dakota o-line. He also started five games at right tackle in 2022.
Amar Johnson takes over the RB1 role after two productive seasons behind Isaiah Davis. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry in 2022, carrying the ball 63 times for 414 yards and three TDs in eight games. Last fall, Johnson rushed 128 times for 801 yards (6.3 YPC) and four scores. Angel Johnson will have a bigger role after averaging 8.9 yards per carry last year, rushing for 381 yards and five TDs on only 43 carries.
Griffin Wilde has a chance to be the next big-time SDSU wide receiver. The 6-foot-2 and 195-pounder caught 20 passes for 399 yards and six touchdowns last year as a true freshman. The next most productive pass-catcher is Grahm Goering (6’3″ 200 lbs), who had 13 catches for 171 yards in 2023.
SDSU really likes its backup QB Chase Mason. Mason is an elite athlete at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. The South Dakota native had FBS interest out of high school, but he began his career on the Nebraska baseball team before transferring to SDSU in 2022. He’ll likely factor into the offense with certain designed packages.

Defensive Outlook
The Jackrabbits bring back eight of their top 13 tacklers from last year’s historic defense, which allowed an FCS-best 9.3 points per game.
The top two tacklers, linebackers Jason Freeman and Isaiah Stalbird, are gone. But multi-time All-American Adam Bock returns. Bock has 344 career tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks, although he’s been slowed by injuries the last two seasons. He looks to return to his 2021 form when he racked up 125 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended. Despite missing five games last fall, he finished third on the team with 65 tackles.
SDSU has solid linebacker experience returning alongside Bock. Graham Spalding (143 career tackles), Caleb Francl (55 career tackles), and Daeton Mcgaughy (60 career tackles) are all fifth or sixth-year seniors with starting experience.
The Jackrabbits had arguably the best group of safeties in the FCS last year, a room that stays intact. Tucker Large is an All-American-level player who totaled 49 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups in 2023. He’s also a top punt returner in the country. Cale Reeder finished fifth on the team with 58 tackles last fall, Colby Huerter totaled 42 tackles, and Matthew Durrance played a lot of snaps, tallying 25 tackles.
Cornerback DyShawn Gales is off to the NFL, but two-time All-MVFC CB Dalys Beanum returns. The 6-foot-1 Beanum has 88 career tackles, 11 interceptions, and 29 passes defended.
SDSU loses three of its four starting defensive linemen from the national championship game, returning Jarod DePriest (6’5″ 285 lbs) at defensive tackle. The Jacks had a strong rotation across the d-line and six of the 11 players listed on the two-deep return this fall. Defensive end Zac Wilson will be looked at to step up. Blake Peterson, a 2023 transfer from Iowa State, should also be an impact player at DE after missing half of last season due to injury.
2024 Preseason Preview Central
8/31 at Oklahoma State
9/7 vs No. 12 UIW
9/14 vs Augustana
9/21 at Southeastern Louisiana
10/5 at Northern Iowa
10/12 vs No. 23 Youngstown State
10/19 at No. 2 North Dakota State
10/26 vs No. 5 South Dakota
11/2 vs Murray State
11/9 at North Dakota
11/16 vs No. 9 Southern Illinois
11/23 at Missouri State
Bold indicates MVFC games
HERO Sports’ rankings
RV = Received Votes


South Dakota
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing
01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’
Kristi Noem’s stint as governor of South Dakota has come under fresh scrutiny by a former local mayor, who said she “did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” just days after she was fired from her role as Homeland Security secretary.
Noem, who served as governor from 2019 to 2025, became the first cabinet member to be fired by Trump during his second term.
The embarrassing dismissal came amid growing scrutiny of her aggressive immigration operations across the country, DHS’s purchase of multiple luxury jets for staff, major reductions in FEMA staff, and rumors of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Mike Levsen, the former mayor of Aberdeen in Noem’s home state of South Dakota, says her dismissal came as no surprise given her “lack of any significant accomplishment” during her time as governor of the state.
“The Noem governorship covered six years — then did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” Levsen wrote in a blog post, comparing Noem to the former Alaska Gov. who resigned midway through her first term, citing mounting legal fees being brought by various ethics investigations being brought against her. Palin was Senator John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.
Kristi Noem’s tenure as governor has come under criticism following her firing as DHS secretary (AFP/Getty)
“Her legacy was minimal involvement with the Legislature, frequent absences, no transparency, repeated operational screwups, soaring turnover and instances of self-dealing for herself and her family,” Levsen wrote.
Levsen criticized Noem’s Covid-era ad campaign, “Freedom Works Here,” as a “Trump-based ploy that likely contributed to South Dakota’s listing high on some periodical per capita death lists.”
The campaign, which attempted to draw new residents to the state, cost $6.5 million, and South Dakota News Watch reported at the time that there were “hurdles” with the campaign.
Levsen also noted Noem’s “difficult relationship” with tribal governments, as all nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes voted in 2024 to ban Noem from their lands, according to CNN.
“Is there a single thing in South Dakota now better as a result of her time in office?” Levsen questioned in the post.
Noem was fired by Trump amidst mounting scrutiny over fallout in Minnesota, following DHS’s disastrous Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens shot dead in confrontations with federal agents.
Noem described the two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as domestic terrorists. She has refused to apologize for the comments.
She also drew fierce criticism with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.
Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)
The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized her management and judgment.
A day after her second hearing, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.
An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”
“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.
Before she was fired, Noem defended her performance during her hearings on Capitol Hill.
She also drew fire for insisting that the $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval, which Trump has denied.
Days after her humiliating firing, Trump named Noem as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that Trump says will focus on the Western Hemisphere.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing
17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing
06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing
01-02-06-22-26
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing
10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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